From Heartless To Souless
by Daemon Wings
Summary: Before departing, Riku and Sora see a disturbing sight A bruning ferry and a lone survivor. Care to watch the pieces fall ::TOGETHER::      WARNING: Written by two Kairi haters. Read at own KairiLovingRisk.


**A**uthors Note:_ This was all I was able to find._

**WHAT HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY:**

Kat and Sora were out on the island, since Sora hadn't left since he got home. Then, after Kat recived her Keyblade, Twilight Strike, she and Sora agreed to go back to the main island. But then in a matter of seconds, a huge storm hit, and now Kat and Sora are stuck in a dinky little row-boat out at sea. Being the completly stubborn idiot she is, Kat dove into the water, after nearly drowning earilier that day, to try and push the boat back to shore. o.O

To help you out, being the kind and considerate person I am, here (I hope) is a picture of Kat. Horrible? Oh well. I drew it myself.

**Enjoy.**

****

**S**ora stared into the water, shocked. "Kat?" he yelled to her, sounding angered. "What're you doing? You could get hurt, get out of there!" Nonetheless, he followed her instructions, pushing the oars to get the boat going at a steady but slow pace twords land.

"I'm pushing the boat," Kat replied, gritting her teeth.

_'Just keep stalling, Kat. He can't know the truth,'_ she thought.

"Sora, I..."

_'No!! He can't know! Stop it Kat. Stop!'_

"I havn't exactly been...honest with you. Come down to that old 'secret place' after 8, OK? Just promise me you won't say a word. Or kill me."

"Ohh," Sora said simply. After he heard the answer, he felt sort of stupid asking the question.

Swallowing his pride, Sora kept rowing, pondering Kat's strange behavior. "Err," he began in responce to her request, "Okay. As long as the storm's passed by then.." He cast a glance at the sky, which was blackened, despite the time of day.

A roll of thunder sounded in the distance, followed some thirty seconds later by a far-off flash of lightening. This would be a truly beautiful storm to watch, and Sora would much rather be viewing it from his bedroom window than have front row seats.

Looking out of the front door, Kat could still see the flashes of lightning in the distance.

"Like strawberry? How 'bout Rawberry, made with lightning! Real lightning!" she whispered with a giggle.

_(Don't get it? Wow. Loser.)_

Stepping out the door, she slipped on her worn down tennis shoes and ran to the old 'secret place' in the roots of some over-grown tree.

Lifting the loooooong sleeves of her dress and looking at her watch, Kat hastily kicked off her shoes and strapped on her black strappy heels as she sat down on a rock hidden in a dark corner.

**_7:59_**

"Kathrine Meggie Rivers. Not Kat. Kathrine," she practiced in a small whisper, closing her eyes, trying to blink back her tears.

"Adopted." She wiped her face on her sleeve, biting her tounge for a sharp moment.

"Emotionless. Heartless." She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling herself into a tight ball.

"A Nobody."

Unlike Kat, Sora wasn't rushing to get ready or make himself look better. He was just staring out his window at the dark grey clouds. It was still dark outside, and still, night had not fallen.

Finally, when the clock next to his bed blinked 7:45, he sat up, and went to his wardrobe.

All his things were still there, just like the day he left, two years ago. His parents were furious with him at first, but their sorrow for the boy overcame their anger, and soon he was entangled in his mothers arms as she told him how she believed her son dead.

Sora pushed back the momories to the back of his mind, and pulled out a simple pair of blue jeans (two years ago they were too big on him, and now they barely fit) and a long-sleeved black shirt.

He went to his bathroom, checking his hair over in the mirror. Just as spikey as ever.

With the smallest of smiles, he slipped out the door. "Bye mom, bye dad," he called over his shoulder. "I'll be back soon."

The boat ride over to the island was scary, indeed, with lightening flashing ominously over head and thunder cackling loudly. Nevertheless, Sora pushed on, until the boat had been docked on the island's pier.

He did as Kat had, ducking under the gnarled roots of the tree, where he had carved that image of himself and Kairi long ago, when love existed to him in the form of a Papou Fruit, and where he had found that door to another world. It was still waiting there, along with Kat, for him.

"Hey," he said, trying to sound perky as another roll of thunder clapped overhead. He blushed slightly as he sat across from her. Her dress was so fancy, and so beautiful on her, and he had not thought to dress at all.

"Ahh!" Kat screamed slightly, startled by Sora's voice. What time was it? She had been sitting there sobbing for what seemed like hours.

"S-Sora? Duh, yeah," She shook her head and slapped herself, knowing that she was embarassing herself in front of him, but she didn't care. She was going to fade soon enough...

"Alright look. I, havn't exactly been honest about, well, _anything_." Taking a deep breath, and crawling back into the shadows, she continued.

"My name isn't Kat. It's Meggie. Kathrine Meggie, really. Not Kat. I'm not even a real Rivers. I'm adopted, Sora. They aren't really my parents. Xemnas paid them to play along."

Tears started again to roll down her cheeks.

Sora was stunned. Not by the fact that she had been adopted, but by the fact that she thought this would have bothered him. So what if she was adopted? He knew people who were adopted, and it wasn't a big deal. And obviously he didn't blame her for hiding it from him, he probably would have, too.

But there was one thing nagging at Sora's mind.

'Had I heard her say Xemnas?'

Surely he had heard wrong. Xemnas would have nothing to do with a child. Nothing at all. He was too heartless for it.

'Yes,' he reassured himself, 'Xemnas is too heartless to care for a child's wellfare.'

Sora fed on this thought, for it was the only thing keeping his mind sure that he had misheard her.

"Is that all?" he asked Kat gently, a small, warm smile on his face.

"Sora, I'm like Xemnas. I'm a Nobody."

She stood up and walked to the light.

"Imagine me with long hair. Now change my name to Sabrina Kirk, and I'm a Somebody.

She turned 360 degrees, so Sora could see all of her.

"Sora, now matter what happens, blood is gonna fly. And it's either yours, or mine. I'm supposed to kill you, Sora, but I just..." Kat looked away, she could bear this, "can't kill anyone. I can't. Well, not you. I'm supposed be heartless, inable to feel. But I can, and I don't know why."

The smile slid from Sora's face, turning into a frown of concentration. Why did these things always have to happen to him? Each time something started to go right, it would go horribly wrong. And it seemed that Xemnas was always at the core of all his troubles.

Sora followed her, placing one hand on her shoulder.

"Kat, he sighed, "you're not the only Nobody who can feel. I know it probably feels like you're the only one, but you're not. My own Nobody, Roxas, is capable of feeling, too. So is Kairi's Nobody, Namine." A very small smile spread on his face. He was trying to be brave for her.

"I know you could never kill anyone, you wouldn't harm a fly. Just because Xemnas tried to force you into doing his dirty work doesn't mean I think you're a bad person, or that you voluntarily signed up for this. I'm sorry," he added as an afterthought, "that you were put through such misery. Xemnas is incapable of feeling, so he doesn't care who he has to hurt to get things done. But I know you're not like that. You have a mind of your own, and you're willing to go against him and follow your own heart."

"What heart?!" Kat shouted at him, throwing her arm into his stomache on accident. "God, see?" she sighed, putting her arms around him in hopes of supporting his weight. This same thing had happened to Siax, and he had fallen to the ground, inable to get up. Even though it was true Siax was much weaker than Sora, she couldn't be sure of her own strength. Not after what Xemnas had did to her...

"Sora, I know that you're angry with me. I've lied to you for what? 3 years? No, wait, one. One year. Not as bad. But still," Kat sighed. Shaking her head, she let out another deep breath. "Hold on a sec," she mumbled, letting go of Sora and reaching into the kangaroo pocket of her dress. Pulling out a stick of bubble-gum, she started chewing as if her life depended on it.

"One last thing..." she said, her voice abnormally little-girlish. "I fade..." she blew a large bubble, and popped it quickly. "Tonight."

When Kat's hand smacked into Sora's stomach, knocked the wind out of him temporarily. After a moment, he regained his breathing, and smiled at her. "It was just an accident, don't worry."

He sighed at her words. Of course he wasn't angry with her. He couldn't blame her for lieing. "Kat, I'm not mad at you for lieing, I wouldn't tell anyone, I'd probably feel worse than I did when I came home." He spoke the truth.

The last thing she said hit Sora the hardest, hurt him the most. He was silent for a moment, listening to his slow breathing and The chewing of Kat's gum.

He drew in his breath. "How do you know?" he asked her slowly, his eyes closed. He thought that if he couldn't see her face, it wouldn't be as hard to hear.

"Nobodies only last a year, unless thier Somebodies are really special. Sabrina was just a normal kid with really bad luck, Sora. Really bad luck..." she shook her heads and twirld the pale pink gum in the mouth.

"Roxas and Namine' are still here because you and Kairi were true bearers. Why do you think I'm so much like you, Sora? That fight with Xemnas? He didn't lose. He won. He got your DNA, and inject a copy into me. That's why I'm so much like you. That's why I have a Keyblade. That's why I fade now, and not some other night. Just, don't touch me," she explained, stepping away.

"If you do, then I steal your heart, whether I want to or not. So I become a Somebody, and you fade in my place. It's the way it works. And if you touch me, I can't touch you again and stop the fade. Like Tag-of-Doom, with the no tag-back rule," Kat added, hopelessly.

"So before I go," she whispered, sitting down, "I want both of us to be completly honest. Truth or Dare, without the dare. And I can't understand why I'm comparing this to a bunch of kiddy games. Just, ask me something. I ain't goin' first!" She was suprised she was able to manage a giggle. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Sora still couldn't wrap his mind around what she was saying.

If Xemnas really had gotten some of his DNA and used it to 'make' Kat, why was it she would fade if Roxas wouldn't? It couldn't be happening, it was too surreal, even for him!

He tossed his head lightly. By the time he's gotten his hearing back, Kat was already explaining that he couldn't touch her.

Sora nodded solemnly, to show he had heard her, and understood what she was saying. He didn't dare open his mouth, he thought he might vomit if he did.

And now she was sitting on the floor, asking him to tell her the truth about anything, and everything. With a sigh, he followed her to the floor. "Okay," he said at last, "I'll do that.."

"Good. Now ask away, Fancy Pants." Kat smiled, her gum barely noticable as she chewed. She was smiling too much. She was thinking of something. Someone. Sora. But hey, can ya' really blame her?

Sora took a deep breath, and made another valient attempt at smiling. This time Kat's efforts weren't unnoticed. His smile was soon a playful grin as he thought up a good question to ask her.

"Okay," he said after a moment of silent thought, "do you know anything about your Somebody?" He wasn't going to turn this into some stupid, ten-year-old girl's gossip session, he wanted to know other things about her. His questions would be serious.

Kat's smile faded. "Lots. But I'd rather not talk about Sabrina, or my being a Nobody, okay?" she snapped. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. "New question?" she finally asked.

Sora sighed, his smile gone as well. "If we can't even have a conversation without getting angry," he began. The sentance was better left unspoken.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, staring at the floor.

"I don't know. You ask a question. I've got nothing." His voice was rich with humiliation and shame, and he wouldn't look up at her.

"Who do you..." Kat started, her mind wandering the possibilities. "Who do you like?" she asked, unwillingly. 'CRAP!!!' she thought, her brown eyes large in fear. She had a feeling this would end with Kairi.

Sora stared strangly at her, forgetting the mental pact he made not to look at her. His face was painted with confusion, even humor. "Who do I like? Lots of people. All my friends, King Mickey, Queen Minnie," he began, ticking them off with his fingers. He grinned at her.

"I know what you meant," he said sheepishly at her. "Well, you, I suppose. I always have had 'thing' for you. Forever. Maybe it was the fact that we were so alike, or maybe it was just because you're cute..Or a good friend." He shrugged. "I dunno why I did, really, but I did.

"God...every guy I know is shallow as an ice cream cone. Demyx once tried to...nevermind. But, at least some reasons were acceptable," Kat smiled, her face a deep shade of red.

"I just don't get any of what's going on, anywhere in any world. I'm stupid like that. In fact, I don't even know why I even brought this up!" She shook her head, a small grin on her face and burst out laughing. "Balloon Brain Kathrine. That's me!"

Sora was glad she stopped, he wasn't sure if he could stand to hear what Demyx tried to do...

"I am not shallow!" he told her, grinning. "Is it a crime to think you're pretty? If I told you you were ugly would you like me more?" Of course, he was just teasing with her.

"Yesssssss!" Kat laughed, remembering when she first arrived on the island.

Sora and Riku had been amazed by the sinking ferry boat Kat had been on.

"Whacha lookin' at?" She asked as she walked up from behind, and had scared the living daylights out of the two. "I love it when people do that," she said, laughing. Back then, she was known as the skater-chick. And she still was, but not as much. Kairi had made sure of that. And so had Sora. But mostly Kairi. And so Kat had learned to hate her with a dire passion.

Sora laughed with her. "Fine then. Kat," he said, sounding official, "you are ugly. How much do you like me now?

Sora's mind wandered to the same memory, when he and Riku were stunned by the boat. Of course, once he saw Kat, he found his eyes glued, instead, on her; not only because of the striking resemblance, but because she was a rather pretty girl. Her skating abilities were a plus, since he had always wanted to learn to ride. (Sometheing he was quite good at, now)  
"This much," she whispered, leaning towards Sora and kissing him gently, something she had wanted to do for a long time. And for that moment she was at peace. Otherwise Kat would have realised she was fading.

As Kat's lips pressed against his own, their warmth spreading to every inch of his body, Sora kissed her back. He, too, had been wanted to kiss her for so long. He lingered a moment before pulling away, grabbing her hand shortly afterward.

"Kat," he began, eyes shining with something from inside him. His sentance went unfinished.

He gasped saddly. "Kat," he said again, quieter this time, and with great saddness, "You're-you're fading away.

His eyes were welled with tears. He wouldn't let it end like this. What kind of person would he be if he did? No, he liked Kat too much to lose her forever.

Kat's filled with tears as well. But she painted a smile on her face, and began to tell him something important.

"One of us had to die, Sora. You have family, friends, and a purpose. I dont. I'm just a Nobody, Sora. You'll find someone better. Somebodies can't love Nobodies."

"Who says?" Sora snapped defiantly. Tears were streaming from his eyes, sliding off his smooth cheeks and falling silently, like his dreams, to the soil benieth his feet.

"Nobodies were supposed to be unfeeling and obey 'stronger' Nobodies, too, but you found a way around that. So why can't we find a way around this?" His voice had dropped to a whisper. "I can't lose you, Kat. I just can't. Not after all the misery I-we've been through. It's not fair that you have to..." Again, he choked on his words. He couldn't say it, "Die."

Sora could care less how much of a child he sounded like now. He wanted to cry, to curl into a ball and cry for himself, feel pity for the fifteen-year-old boy whos life was corrupted because of a stupid Key. He wanted to cry for all the pain it had caused him, and anyone linked to him. He wanted to cry for anyone whos lived had been ruined because of the Darkness in people's hearts. But most of all, he wanted to murder Xemnas. To make him feel as horrible as he felt now, and so much more.

And he would. If he died trying, he would do it. If not to benifit the rest of the Worlds, to get revenge for Kat. He knew that once she had fadded completely, ridding the Worlds of Xemnas would not bring her back, nor that he was the real cause of it, but it would make him feel better...

Kat made herself giggle a bit, she had to be stro for Sora.

"Sora, life isn't fair. We have to accept it and move on. This is a part of life, and no matter how hard we wish, we can't change--" but she was cut off by a pale blue light. "Mixed tears..." she whispered in disbelif. Sora's tears and her own had fallen onto her keyblade, which had mysteriously and magically appeared there, and now Kat could genuinely smile. She'd suprise Sora with it later, if she ever got the chance. If it really had worked. And with that last smile, she was gone.

Sora was speachless. She had faded, she really faded.

His tears flowed from his eyes harder than ever, but atleast she had gone smiling, just like always. Her face swam into his mind, old memories of her smiling at him, or giggling in her cute way.

It must have been some time later. Sora had lost track long ago. The night was a blurr. A blurr of tears and saddness. But, of course, Kat's fadding away stuck out vividly in contrast with the blurry memories of crying through the night. The scene kept playing over in his mind, ending in her smiling face disappearing into the cool night air.

Outside, birds were chirping and sea gulls croaking. It was morning, that, Sora was sure of. But he knew not what time it was, and hardly cared to guess. With a groan, he pulled himself to a standing position, his back haunched over as he squeezed through the tree's gnarled roots.

The sun was beating down hard on his head, casting it's glorious rays shining into his sore, red eyes. He grimaced, and pulled his hand up to shield his eyes from the harmful sight.

"I guess I'd better go home," he sighed after a moment. His voice was hollow, and his eyes were glazed over in thought.

He walked to the dock, zombie-like, and untied the boat. The storm had passed during the night, from his spot benieth the tree he could hear it raging outside. It felt like Mother Nature, too, was angry at the loss.

The boat had been brought ashore, and Sora numbly trudged up to his room. Nothing his parents said (more like screamed) to him registered with his brain, just went in through one ear, then out the other. He knew the damage that had been done. He had caught the phrase "Grounded for two weeks" somewhere along the line.

He dropped onto his bed, buring his face in the pillow. Maybe he'd be lucky, and his next breath would be his last...

"Hey! Hey you! With the face! Get up," called out a young girl, sounding around 15. She was leaning against the door frame, a sly smile on her face, and a mischievious sparkle in her tawny eyes.

"Your parents let me in," she explained quickly. Walking over to Sora, that smile only grew bigger. This was going to be good...

"I said get up," she whispered, getting on her knees by the side of Sora's bed. "Aww, don't go emo on me Sora. That won't be much fun," she laughed. Then she stole the pillow Sora had tried to bury his face in.

"You're crazy, Sora. You know that?" Then she shook her head, her shoulder-length brunette hair falling and flying. "But you'll never be as crazy as me," she whispered, and placed her hand on his cheek. "Crazy, crazy..."

Sora's eyes flew open. It couldn't be, could it?

"Kat?" he whispered in disbelif. And Kat smiled, just as she had that night, when she had faded. It was truly amazing, the power of ressurection. And then she leaned in once more and kissed him.

_------_

_**A**utors Note (2): This story is actually incomplete, as in reality it can never end. So I just stopped it here, as this was a good a place as any. I may re-write it a bit, add on, or try and duplicate the lost pages. But either way, this is where it ends. For now. o.O_

For now.


End file.
